“Stay strong and be true to who you are. Never lose sight of where you came from and why you are where you are today.”

Robert Amick has always enjoyed helping people. After a few of his friends introduced him to the fire service, he knew firefighting was for him. His first weekend on the job as a volunteer firefighter, he went on a structure fire call and he was hooked. From then on, his thirst of learning about firefighting paid off as he excelled to battalion chief in 13 years.

Today, Mr. Amick is the Executive Director for the Florida State Firefighters Association (FSFA). Chartered in 1925, the FSFA is the oldest firefighting organization in the state of Florida.

The original mission of the FSFA was to create, develop, and support fire departments around the state of Florida. It continues to focus on its benevolent mission to help firefighters and the community by offering resources and support to fire departments in need.

One of the main roles of the FSFA is emergency disaster relief. In Florida, they are well-versed in hurricane relief. Robert and his team are the first relief in the most affected areas after hurricanes come through the state each year. They are responsible for surveying the damage and relaying the information to the regional EOC so the other first responders can develop a plan of action for delivering relief.

After Hurricane Dorian, Robert and the FSFA’s Disaster Response Team (DRT) went to the Bahamas to provide relief. They were shocked to learn that the most recent certification issued to any of the firefighters was 31 years old… And they had just one Scott Air Pack with a steel bottle that they shared when fighting fires.

The FSFA knew they had to do something to help these firefighters but they needed help to cover the costs of doing so. Fortunately, the father of one of the firefighters from the Bahamas owned a pub and he coordinated a fund raiser which raised enough money to send all of the firefighters to Florida where the FSFA invited them to attend their week-long fire training course, the Great Florida Fire School, for free!

The FSFA has since committed to certifying all of the firefighters of the Bahamas as Florida State Firefighter 1’s.

Efforts to certify each of these firefighters have been stymied by COVID-19. However, this hasn’t stopped Robert and the FSFA from making a difference in the world.

While in the Bahamas, Robert learned of a company based out of South Carolina that used a dry-fog disinfectant to kill mold and viruses in homes that were damaged by Hurricane Dorian. When COVID-19 started to become a serious issue in the United States, Robert had a light-bulb moment:

“We could use the fogging machine to rid buildings of COVID-19 and slow the spread of the virus.”

It took persistence and prodding to convince the company to adopt Robert’s idea and run with it, but eventually they understood the importance of what they could accomplish. They’ve been driving all over the state of Florida with help from others who are dedicated to overcoming this adversity, including a gentleman from Michigan who lost his brother to COVID-19.

After decontaminating Florida’s state fire college and the Fire Marshal’s office, Robert and his team are moving full-steam ahead with support from the Florida Joint Council and more.

In times of most dire needs, first responders including Robert and his team have been there to take care of their communities. Because that’s what firefighters do.

Thank you to those of you who dedicate your time to taking care of your communities during times like these.

Robert has a message for all emergency responders:

“Even though you spend your life protecting others like the heroes you truly are, you need to understand that it’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help.”

There was a long-time member of the FSFA — someone who had devoted his entire life to the fire service and the community he lived in. In the aftermath of Hurricane Michael (2018), he was out fighting fires and helping others recover from the storm’s damage.

Since he was busy taking care of others, he needed assistance taking care of his own home and family. The FSFA was happy to help and they put his family on their list of families to take care of.

In the meantime, he began working on removing a tree that was damaged during the storm. The tree fell on him and took his life.

This rocked Robert and the rest of the FSFA. Although they devote their time to taking care of their brothers and sisters in need, they were unable to be there for him that day.

Their mission has become even stronger at the FSFA and they are continuously making great strides towards ensuring that nobody goes unassisted during their time of need.

Everyone faces challenges and it’s important to reach out in times of need. Please, always remember to lean on your brothers and sisters when you need it and to be there for them when they need it.